Dear Books Haul

Staycation at Seda Vertis North

A few weeks ago we had a family staycation at Seda Vertis North . We were able to book a Club Room at a good price thanks to Seda's All Wrapped Up Holiday promo. When we arrived at the hotel, we were led to the 23rd floor where Club Room guests can check in. Check in was super easy and the staff was lovely! After checking in, we were told that afternoon tea would be served in a few minutes so we decided to hang out at the lounge a bit and wait for tea to be served.

Yummy Yucky, by Leslie Patricelli

Do you have a toddler who always tries to put everything in his/her mouth? I have two! Being a bit of a germophobe, this is one habit that I really want Audrey and Antonino to break. Their pediatrician told Joey and me that it's completely normal for little ones to explore the things around them with their mouths and what we can do is explain firmly which stuff go in the mouth and not by saying something like "We don't put toys in our mouth." So when I saw the book "Yummy Yucky," by Leslie Patricelli, I knew at once that it would be the perfect companion for teaching the twins what's safe for them to eat.

Grandma Loves You!, by Helen Foster James

"Grandma Loves You!" by Helen Foster James is a sweet book for grandmas to read to their grandchildren. The tender rhymes and soft pastel illustrations capture the feelings of grandmothers from the moment they first see their grandchildren.

Audrey and Antonino love it whenever LaMom reads this book to them. They sit on her lap while fighting over who gets to turn the pages.  Right now they like looking at the photos and the snuggles they get when LaMom reads to them. But I'm sure when they're older and able to understand the text better, they will definitely feel how special they are to their grandma.

Simple, warm and sweet, "Grandma Loves You!" is a lovely gift for new grandmothers. In fact, I think parents can even use it to announce a pregnancy to grandmas-to-be.

Audrey and Antonino are lucky enough to have 2 grandmas and even a great grandpa around. My Lolo (grandfather) is already 90 years old. And although he may sometimes forget our names, he always remembers that Audrey and Antonino are twins. When we were in Ilocos to celebrate his 90th birthday, he would always ask "Where's the other one? They're twins, right?" whenever he would see only one of them running around. I find it really sweet that he's still able to remember that detail. So I have to give a special thank you to LaMom, Mima and GG Pin (Great Grandpa)! We love you! 

Happy Grandparents' Day to all the grandmas and grandpas out there!

The Foot Book, by Dr. Seuss

I've loved going to bookstores ever since I was a child. When I was younger, my mom and I would always drop by the bookstore whenever we would go to the mall. There, she would let me pick any age-appropriate book I wanted to read. Book shopping is actually one of my favorite mother-child bonding activities which I also hope to share with Audrey and Antonino one day.

Well, that one day came sooner than I expected. During a recent trip to the mall with the twins, we visited Powerbooks to check if there were any new arrivals we could add to their collection. As I was browsing the display, Audrey suddenly leaned forward and grabbed a board book from the shelf: The Foot Book, by Dr. Seuss. She wouldn't let go of the book when I asked if I could see it so I just picked up another copy. In true Dr. Seuss fashion, it has lots of clever rhymes which make it a great read-aloud book so we bought it.

It's In The Bag: The Best Storage Bags For Baby's Needs

I first came across Mother-K a few days after giving birth to Audrey and Antonino. Since they were born at 34 weeks and 2 days, they had to stay in the NICU so they could grow some more before coming home with us. Breastfeeding them was a huge challenge because their sucking abilities were a bit weak. So I started pumping milk when we were at the hospital. The NICU gave me sterilized bottles to store my milk but I knew I needed to get breastmilk storage bags once I get discharged from the hospital so I could deliver my milk to my babies everyday.

5 Things My Twin Toddlers Do That Cause Muscle Pain

If I learned anything from my 18 months of parenting, it's that manual labor is part of a parent's job description. Parenting is really hard on the body. Just take a look at this list of 5 things my twin toddlers do that cause muscle pain.

They always want to be carried.

While I know that the warmth of a parent's embrace has no substitute, I sometimes feel like I exist to carry my twins 24/7. I set them down on the play mat and they start to cry. I pick them back up and they're suddenly OK as if they weren't screaming bloody murder just a few seconds ago. And because they love resting their heavy heads against my shoulder and neck, I have to tilt my head to one side while carrying them, giving myself neck pain in the process.

On The Night You Were Born, By Nancy Tillman

Like all parents, I want my children to feel loved and special in order to set them up for a healthy sense of self esteem in the future. "On The Night You Were Born," by Nancy Tillman has exactly what I want to say to Audrey and Antonino to make them feel like VIPs. The author just has a way with words that's simply magical. I mean just read a few lines from the book below:

Because I'm Your Dad, By Ahmet Zappa

Whenever the twins see Joey walk into the room, he might as well be a rockstar. Their faces light up, they scream daddy and they squeal in delight. And though I know it's not supposed to be a competition, I can wholeheartedly say that between Joey and me, he is the clear winner of the Fun Parent Award. Kind of like the dad in the children's book, "Because I'm Your Dad" which has become one of our regular reads.

You're All My Favourites, by Sam McBratney

It was a lovely surprise to see another book by "Guess How Much I Love You" author, Sam McBratney while I was bookshop browsing a couple of weeks ago. After reading the synopsis, I immediately went to the counter to ask if I could see the inside of the book. Good thing the lady who assisted me had to answer a call after she opened the book's plastic cover because I got teary eyed when I read it. I actually had to pause for a moment and compose myself before I could tell her I would be buying it.

"You're All My Favorites" is about three baby bears who start to wonder who among them their mommy and daddy bear like the best. In the story, each baby bear describes himself/herself according to birth order, color, gender, and size. These descriptions show how each baby bear is unique. However, in their young little bear minds, they tend to perceive their unique qualities as something that may prevent mommy and daddy bear from liking them best.

Dinosaur Dance, by Sandra Boynton

One way to describe Dinosaur Dance, by Sandra Boynton is high energy. As the title suggests, the book is about dancing dinosaurs. After reading it a few times to the twins, Antonino would bounce up and down just seeing its cover and Audrey would start shaking sideways (unprompted) from the moment she hears the line "The blue Stegosaurus goes shimmy shimmy shake." 

One Toy, So Many Uses

I really enjoy going toy shopping for the twins. As I wrote in an earlier post, I'm a really picky toy shopper. Like most parents, I'm always looking for toys which give me the most bang for my buck. Something that the twins can use through many ages and help in their development. I always do a lot of research before buying a toy. It's really rewarding whenever I'm able to choose the right one among the many possibilities out there. An example of this is a set of stacking and nesting cups.

That's Not My Baby, by Fiona Watt

Even though they cannot read yet, Audrey and Antonino have been showing an early interest in books. Whenever they see a book lying around their play area, they pick it up, flip and chew (oops!) its pages, and then hand it to me to read to them. With every page turn, they squeal with delight, imitate sounds and reach for colorful pictures.

Love is You and Me, by Monica Sheehan

This Wednesday is Valentine's Day so I think it's only fitting for me to share with you one of my favourite children's books about love: Love is You and Me, by Monica Sheehan.

Playing and Learning

I'm kind of picky when it comes to the twins' toys. I make it a point to buy toys that are age-appropriate, skill-building, well-made, and safe. OK, I'm very picky. My latest toy purchase for them is a push walker.

As I shared in the twins' one year old update, they're both very close to walking. As a first time mom, I'm very excited for them to reach this milestone so I researched for ways to help them learn how to walk. I also asked a friend whose daughter is only a few months older than the twins how her daughter learned to walk. I was impressed at how sure she was on her feet, walking independently. Her answer? A push walker! 

Ten Tiny Tickles, by Karen Katz

There is nothing sweeter in the world than a baby's laugh. It just brightens your day making it impossible not to laugh along. Because of this, Joey and I always try to make the twins laugh through silly sounds, funny faces and of course, tickles. Tickles are a guaranteed laugh inducer for babies which is why we love reading Ten Tiny Tickles, by Karen Katz to the twins.

Tiny Blessings For Bedtime, by Amy Parker

As parents, we all dream of raising selfless and appreciative children. Today is Christmas Eve and as we focus on giving thanks for all the special blessings we have received, let's always remember that while Christmas only comes once a year, we can always choose to adopt the mindset of being grateful for everyday blessings. My current favorite children's book on gratitude is Tiny Blessings for Bedtime, by Amy Parker. 

Moo, Baa, La La La!, by Sandra Boynton

My mom read to me a lot when I was a kid. I guess it was the shared reading time with her that made me enjoy and love reading. A love for reading is also something I want to pass on to my twin babies, Audrey and Antonino. And so, I read aloud to them even when they were still in my tummy. Then, when we brought them home from the hospital, Joey and I included reading as part of their bedtime routine. There were even nights when we would read the same book to them 5 times straight because they would end up crying when we were done and the only way to calm them down was to read the book over and over. Reading has become a great bonding activity for our family and I can see that the twins have become very interested in books which is why I am always on the lookout for books that will cultivate this interest.

More On Baby Laundry

Baby laundry is a big part of every new parent's life. A few weeks ago, I shared some tips on tackling baby laundry as well as my preferred laundry detergent. We normally buy 3 bottles of it at a time which would last us a little over 3 months. When we opened our last bottle of detergent, I went to the the Human Nature online store to reorder. This was when I found out that they launched a new detergent especially made for babies. Talk about late to the party. So I quickly placed an order to be able to try it.

2017 Favorite Things

I cannot believe the twins are turning one this month! After all the sleepless nights and tears (the twins' and mine), we're finally near the one year mark! In celebration of this milestone, I wrote a list of my favorite things that I used during my first year of being a twin mommy. I wish I could do an Oprah and tell all of you that I will be giving each one of you all of my favorite things but for now, I'll just share my list and hope you can find something you like too.